Saturday, May 31, 2014

#Dillon, Colorado.

The Dillon Farmers Market will begin Friday, June 6, for the 2014 summer event season. Running from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Friday, rain or shine, with the exception of Aug. 8, the market will continue until Sept. 19.

The market has continued to grow both in size and popularity. Boasting more than 100 full-time vendors and a drop-in program consisting of 20-plus vendors, the Dillon Farmers Market is one of the largest in the High Country and offers everything from fresh produce to bison meat to artwork and jewelry. And if you are solely looking to grab a quick bite on a beautiful Friday afternoon, there are more than 10 food vendors ready to sate you.

Live entertainment takes place every market from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and a complete entertainment schedule, as well as a list of all vendors, can be found at www.townofdillon.com. For more information on the Dillon Farmers Market and other town events, call the event hotline at (970) 262-3400 or, for specific questions, Dillon Town Hall at (970) 468-2403.

Help restore trails on Frisco Peninsula with FDRD

The volunteer project season for the Friends of the Dillon Ranger District takes off next week, now that trails are less soggy and vulnerable to trail damage.

On Tuesday, June 3, FDRD will host its first Tuesday Twilight project at the Pine Cove Day Use Area at the Frisco Peninsula from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The Frisco Peninsula is a “go to” spot for many Summit County residents and visitors who love to recreate around the Dillon Reservoir, and the town of Frisco needs your help in bringing it up to speed.

Tuesday Twilight projects give busy professionals and other volunteers who have weekend commitments the chance to spend their evening “happy hour” outside with the FDRD on the trails.

Trails crews say this the best happy hour because it’s free and is a great way to squeeze in an evening workout, and FDRD hosts these projects throughout the summer in Frisco and Breckenridge.

Volunteers can sign up for projects on the Friends of the Dillon Ranger District website atwww.fdrd.org by clicking on the “Volunteer” link at the top of the page.

Gold medalists headline summer camp at Woodward Copper

Woodward will welcome the first-ever Olympic gold medalists in men’s slopestyle to camp this summer, as Sage Kotsenburg and Joss Christensen hit Woodward Copper on Monday, July 14, and Tuesday, July 15. Campers will get the opportunity to hang out, train and grab photo ops with the Olympians.

The two Park City locals and members of the “I Ride Park City” All Stars team both made history in the debut of slopestyle this year at the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. Kotsenburg won men’s snowboard slopestyle and Christensen took men’s slopestyle skiing. They’ve been on cereal boxes, early-morning talk shows and late-night television, landed in the pages of Rolling Stone and their next stop is camp at Woodward Copper.

Along with lots of snow, campers will get to take advantage of faster and easier laps during on-snow terrain park sessions thanks to the installation of a new surface lift in Central Park. Additionally, campers will be greeted with a new BagJump Freestyle Airbag, which will make aerials possible for campers of all ages and skill levels.

Tickets go on sale Monday, June 2, for the Maroon Bells Birthday Bash at Aspen Highlands, and organizers are kicking things off in suitably commemorative style. In a nod to the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, they’re giving away the first 50 tickets on www.maroonbells50.org, starting at 9 a.m. Monday.

Even if you don’t manage to snag one of the free 50, the damage will be pretty slight. Organizers say they’ve been able to drop the adult advance-purchase price to $10 — down from the original announced price of $15 — thanks to funding from local governments. Children 12 and younger are free.

The outdoor festival will run from 3 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2, and will feature live music, an address by author and activist Rick Bass, a Ute Nation ceremony, kids’ activities and wilderness displays. The music lineup will include the Shook Twins, Paper Bird, Halden Wofford & the Hi-Beams and Let Them Roar. Admission includes free birthday cake, and the Highlands Alehouse will offer special food and drink deals.

The Wilderness Workshop, Aspen Center for Environmental Studies and the U.S. Forest Service are partnering on the Birthday Bash. They’re also working with a half-dozen other organizations to offer a range of free wilderness hikes, projects and educational programs earlier in the day. The full schedule is at www.maroonbells50.org.

Interactive installation at Denver Art Museum

The Denver Art Museum (DAM) has commissioned WORKSHOP8 and Blue Spruce Design & Construction to transform its outdoor plaza with a participatory and site-specific installation that will activate the museum’s entrance from Saturday, May 31, through mid-September. Bringing visitors together for a shared experience, the design teams will create a series of urban campfires on Martin Plaza, which encourage guests to pull up a tree stump, relax on the plaza and exchange stories of summer with friends and family.

The museum selected the proposal by Boulder-based WORKSHOP8 and Blue Spruce because of its unique approach towards visitor engagement, plaza activation and utilization of reclaimed and recycled goods.

The design team will create four campfire platforms with eight seats, each crafted from reclaimed beetle-kill pine donated by Wood Source in Thornton. Each campfire platform will have rays made out of recycled climbing rope that extend beyond the wood and connect to light poles on the plaza. Throughout the summer, participants can write or draw what summer means to them on colorful tags and attach them to the rope rays. The installation will blossom throughout the summer as more people participate, adding their favorite representation of the season.

The public is invited to meet the designers and create their own summer stories tag on Saturday, May 31, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The museum will also host a bronze pour on the plaza from noon to 3 p.m. that day. No reservations are necessary. For more information, visit www.denverartmuseum.org.

Friday, May 30, 2014

#Breckenridge, Colorado.

Sebastian Foltz / sfoltz@summitdaily.com

Drowning. In the world of whitewater rafting and kayaking, it’s a very real concern. Anyone who’s ever unwillingly been tossed from a boat or flipped a kayak in whitewater may be more than a little familiar with the feeling. There’s a moment when time slows down. Those who know what they’re doing seize that moment and react; those who don’t panic. The difference between the two is often as simple as experience, knowing what to do, taking a moment and clearing your head — not getting overwhelmed.

The reality in many fatal whitewater accidents is that often they could have been avoided. Sometimes it’s as simple as having the right body position when swimming.

“Gaining that knowledge and being able to pass it on is important,” swiftwater rescue instructor Christian “Campy” Campton said.

It’s the focus of his whitewater rescue course.

“The more people that know it, the safer our waters will be,” he said.

Campton’s program, sanctioned by Rescue 3 International, is a three-day course that teaches the essentials of whitewater safety and rescue.

The program trains guides, private boaters and public workers like firefighters in the how to respond when accidents occur, concepts that may be especially critical this whitewater season following a big snow year.

BIG SNOW MEANS BIG WATER

River accidents are frequently the result of inexperienced boaters getting into unfamiliar situations. This year, with water flows in rivers already climbing toward peak levels because of rapid snowmelt, there’s some concern among those in the rafting and kayaking industry. While it’s safe for professional guiding companies and experienced boaters, those less familiar with how to read rivers and recognize features may struggle in places where they would be fine during other times of the year.

Stretches of water can change dramatically with higher water flows, making ordinarily tame rivers far more challenging.

With flow levels on some rivers currently as much as 10 times higher than what they might be later in the summer, places like the usually tame Upper Colorado River may be far more technical.

“There’s a lot of beginners out there getting in over there head underestimating the high flow,” Matti Wade, owner of Ten Mile Creek Kayaks in Frisco, said.

The Upper Colorado, for example, now has flow levels approaching 10,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), when much of the season it runs closer to 500-800 cfs.

“The Upper C is usually more of a fun float,” Wade said.

In the summertime it’s a place where people even learn how to paddleboard. But rafters and kayakers reported there were a number of boats flipping and rafters getting in trouble over Memorial Day weekend.

Bureau of Land Management spokesman David Boyd went so far as suggesting people reconsider rafting if they are not planning on going out on a guided trip.

“If you’re not experienced, it’s a good time to stay out of the water,” he told the Daily.

But for those who know what they’re doing it’s shaping up to be a banner start to the season.

“It’s awesome,” Campton, who also runs KODI Rafting based in Frisco, said. “We haven’t seen flows like this in a couple of years. Now is the time to go see big water.”

He, too, suggested going with a guide outfit.

For private boaters he emphasized awareness.

“If you’re on a new river, know before you go.”

That means reading guide books and being sure to know flow levels. And perhaps above all, be prepared for the worst-case scenario.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

#Breckenridge, Colorado.

Now is the time to make sure you’ll be enjoying blooms and greens throughout the summer.

Annuals

It’s time to plant up patio pots, but keep an eye on wild temperature fluctuations. Plants may need to be covered.

Pinch back vigorous annuals to encourage fullness and to prolong blooming.

After planting, monitor the moisture in the flower and vegetable beds, keeping it slightly moist as plants take root. Slowly apply 1 to 1.5 inches of water.

Mulch beds after planting, topping with 1 to 2 inches of organic mulch.

Practice aggressive weed removal. This month, weeds can really take over the garden.

Attend garden tours for new ideas including plant combinations, designs and new cultivars.

In the perennial garden

This is the perfect month to plant. At the nursery or plant sales, choose your favorite and the healthiest specimens.

No garden? No problem. Plant perennials in containers in soil-less growing mixture amended with an organic slow-release fertilizer.

Now is the time to divide perennials that are too large or are crowding other plants. It’s best to divide them when new growth is only a few inches tall.

Seedlings started indoors may be planted now, and all new plantings should be mulched with a 2 to 3 inch layer of rich organic compost.

Early blooming perennials may be deadheaded.

Start tying the tall perennials to their supports. Leave enough space for the stems to thicken, but don’t let them flop about.

Bulbs and corms

When the danger of frost is passed, set out those tender bulbs such as lilies and dahlias. Stake the tall ones as you plant them, being careful not to poke the stake through the tuber.

Were there bare spots in the spring bulb display? Make a note of it now, and keep it in the garden journal or calendar so you know what to buy and plant next fall. If you have a smart phone, then snap pictures of the trouble spots as reminders.

Edibles

After your last frost date, plant out the tender vegetables: tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Be prepared to cover plants if a late frost is anticipated.

Direct sow seeds of melons and squash, beans and lettuces. Hill up your potatoes and leeks as they grow.

Water new plants on a regular basis, and if possible, install drip irrigation hoses and emitters.

Keep the root crops thinned, making salads of the edible greens with your thinnings (the ones you have to pull out). Add trimmings from the herb garden to your salads, too.

Pick off or wash pests off plants. If you must, use an insecticidal soap according to the label instructions. Remember: If you are feeding it to your family, then grow it organically.

Ground covers

Now is an excellent time to divide your established, older ground covers and move them to parts of the garden where they can be of good use.

If you discover dead patches in the ground cover areas, then clean them out and wait awhile. New growth will likely fill in and repair any holes.

Lawns and ornamental grasses

This is a good time to aerate your lawn. Leave the soil plugs where they fall. They decompose and add organic matter to the turf area.

Top dress lawns with a thin layer — less than 1 inch — of organic compost.

Warm-season grasses such as buffalo grass and blue grama should be sown in May or June because they need warm soil to germinate successfully.

Ornamental grasses will be arriving in the nursery centers. They don’t look like much — most of them are still dormant — but they can be planted now.

Shrubs

Plant container-grown shrubs this month. Garden centers have the latest cultivars, and new plants are arriving daily.

Finish pruning spring flowering shrubs (lilacs, forsythia) after they bloom and before they set next year’s buds.

Conifers and deciduous trees

This month, you can transplant evergreens in your garden. Be sure to water them in well.

Plant container-grown trees, both deciduous and evergreens. Make sure your irrigation system is set up to give them adequate water in their first year.

Fertilize trees that are showing signs of nutrient deficiency. The alkaline soils of the Rockies may cause trees to look chlorotic (yellowish). Talk to your local extension office for recommendations on treating this condition.

Vines

Check trellises and other supports to make sure they are securely fastened to a wall or post. Vigorous vines are heavy. Ensure adequate air circulation behind trellises and screens so vines won’t bake in the sun. They should be positioned 12 to 18 inches from a wall.

Plant new clematis and protect the transplants the first couple years with a tomato cage or similar structure since the new plants are quite brittle. Keep the tags so you know how to prune them in the future.

Honeysuckles, ivies, Virginia creeper and trumpet vine are taking off right now. Aggressively prune unruly shoots and branches and redirect the growth where you want it.

As all gardeners know, this is going to be the best gardening year ever!

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

#Blue River, Colorado.

The town of Blue River is hosting a workshop next week to consider an annexation and rezoning proposal that could pave the way for a high density residential development project just south of the town’s existing boundary.

Several Blue River residents have come out in opposition of the proposal.

The application, first submitted in March to the town of Blue River, outlines a residential development project to construct 68 units — encompassing single-family, duplex and multi-family configurations — on 48 acres of land now located in unincorporated Summit County. The application was submitted by Breckenridge attorney Daniel Teodoru on behalf of Cabin Properties Inc. and the Carl A. Schmidt Living Trust, which collectively owns the land proposed for annexation and rezoning.

The land up for consideration encompasses three separate sections, including .831 of an acre known as the Schissler plat, .771 of an acre known as the Sanitation parcel and 46.604 acres called the Schmidt parcel. Collectively, the land is known as the Ruby Placer.

According to county zoning regulations, 43.927 acres of the Ruby Placer is designated as A-1 agricultural land, which would permit the development of one unit per 20 acres. The remaining 2.83 acres are zoned R-6 residential, which would permit the development of six units per acre.

According to the agreement, all future development would need to be in compliance with current zoning regulations. In addition, the master plan also states that regardless of the location of a proposed project, the cooperating jurisdiction permitting the least amount of density would take precedence.

However, in the application Teodoru cites a subdivision plat adopted in 1966 by the Summit County Commission that permitted up to 48 condo-style units on the .8-acre Schissler parcel. Although the original plat stipulates the units would be restricted in size to about 460 square feet each, Teodoru argues his clients have developmental entitlements to those units.

The application further argues that pending approval of the rezoning application, the owners would then be able to transfer those development rights to the entirety of the Ruby Placer, hence the proposed 68 single- and multi-family units. The proposal also outlines plans for 22 acres of public and private open space.

Blue River resident Robert Key has been a vocal opponent in recent weeks to the proposal. Although he adamantly opposes the proposed density of the project, Key has also raised concerns about a section of the Ruby Placer the developer wants to set aside for mixed-use development.

According to the proposal, the land set aside for mixed use encompasses 2.3 acres and could house 4,000- to 8,000-square feet of commercial space and no more than 10 residential units.

“The developer is trying to apply the zoning regulations of several small parcels and apply it to more than 18 acres of land, which would be an almost 400-percent increase in the existing R-6 footprint,” Key said. “It’s too big and there’s too much left to the imagination in this zoning proposal.”

The Summit County Commission also appears to have its own concerns with the project. During its regularly scheduled Tuesday, May 27, workshop, Kate Berg, Summit County senior planner, outlined several potential problems with the application as it is currently written.

The first deals with Teodoru’s argument that his clients have developmental entitlements because of the 1966 Schissler Condominium Subdivision Plat approval. At the time of the approval, Summit County did not have zoning regulations in place. However, it adopted zoning regulations in 1969, which therefore made the initial plat approval null and void, Berg said.

Berg also cited the Joint Upper Blue Master Plan, which was adopted in 1997 by Summit County and the towns of Breckenridge and Blue River. The document was created to slow overdevelopment around Breckenridge and was written in the spirit of protecting the Upper Blue Basin’s natural resources and community character, Berg said.

Although the joint master plan serves exclusively as an advisory document, it does provide guidelines about future development in the Blue River Basin.

According to the agreement, all future development would need to be in compliance with current zoning regulations. In addition, the master plan also states that regardless of the location of a proposed project, the cooperating jurisdiction permitting the least amount of density would take precedence.

In other words, because the town of Blue River is considering annexation and the Ruby Placer is currently located in unincorporated Summit County, Blue River and Summit County zoning regulations could be applied to the project. In this case, the parcels are zoned as A-1 agricultural and R-6 residential under Summit County code, which allows the least amount of density and should be applied as a baseline for the project, Berg said.

Under that model, the county has identified the Ruby Placer would be permitted to house only 23 residential units.

But the Joint Upper Blue Master Plan does contain an avenue for the developer to move forward with the project through the plan’s Transferable Development Rights program.

Adopted in 2000 by way of an intergovernmental agreement between Breckenridge and Summit County, the Transferable Development Rights program identified backcountry units in the county, known as “sending areas,” that would allow density credits to be transferred to “receiving areas,” primarily located around Breckenridge.

The county manages the Joint Upper Blue TDR Bank, and purchases and sells development rights. A later amendment to the intergovernmental agreement added Blue River as a receiving area.

Summit County manager Gary Martinez and Summit County assistant manager Thad Noll said in recent weeks the county has no authority over the project other than to provide comments to the Blue River Board of Trustees. Both Martinez and Noll said it would be their preference to abide by the tenets of the Joint Blue River Master Plan either through the Transferable Development Rights program or by applying appropriate density restrictions according to code.

The proposal will be heard at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 3, during a joint meeting of the Blue River Board of Trustees and the Blue River Planning and Zoning Commission at Blue River Town Hall, 72 Summit County Road 451.

Monday, May 26, 2014

#Breckenridge, Colorado.

Temperatures are on the rise, there’s more rain in the forecast and this year’s snowpack has begun to melt off, prompting officials in Summit County to monitor rising water levels.

With the Memorial Day weekend in full swing, Summit County Sheriff John Minor reminds residents and visitors to be especially cautious in and around county waterways.

“During spring runoff, creeks and streams can be particularly dangerous as flows are often higher and faster than they are during the summer months,” Minor said in a news release. “And the water temperature is just above freezing.”

When taking part in outdoor activities on or near the water this spring, remember that elevated river flows can cause fast currents.

Playing along the banks of fast-moving water is especially dangerous for children and pets, as they can easily slip on wet, muddy ground and be swept into the icy water, the release stated.

The sheriff’s office recommends that visitors and residents follow these safety rules during periods of high water:

Sunday, May 25, 2014

#Frisco, Colorado.

Once again this year, the Frisco Colorado BBQ Challenge is sponsoring a contest to find the dad most deserving of a chance to kick back during the 21st annual event and enjoy someone else’s barbecue. The 2014 BBQ Challenge leads up to Father’s Day each year, and this year’s dates are Thursday, June 12, for the kickoff concert and Friday, June 13, and Saturday, June 14, for the BBQ Challenge.

To enter the BBQ Challenge’s Father’s Day contest, offspring, young or old, must submit a short essay detailing why their dad is worthy of a free barbecue-filled weekend in Frisco. Interested participants may enter the contest on the Colorado BBQ Challenge Facebook page by clicking on the #1Dad icon or by going to www.friscobbq.com to submit a short essay about why their dad most deserves a weekend at the Frisco BBQ Challenge.

The winner will receive lodging for two nights, Friday, June 13, and Saturday, June 14, in a two-bedroom condo courtesy of Mountain Managers, $100 worth of Hogbacks (official currency of the Colorado BBQ Challenge) and two tickets to Friday night’s Rub It, Smoke It, Sip It Whiskey Tour, courtesy of the Breckenridge Distillery. All essays must be submitted by midnight on Monday, May 26.

“We had to find a box of tissues last year when we read all of the essays,” said Cristi Eckert, Frisco/Copper Information Center Manager. “It was hard to make a decision because there are so many dads out there who are ‘everyday superheroes’ to their families. It was incredibly inspiring to read stories of dads who really step up and quietly make a difference in their families’ lives day in and out.”

Keystone’s fourth-annual Blue Ribbon Bacon Tour returns to River Run Village on Saturday, June 21, and Sunday, June 22, with 3,000 pounds of bacon in just about every shape, size and variety from bacon ice cream to bacon s’mores to bacon drinks along with samples of bacon strips.

In addition to bacon tastings, there will be beer, Bloody Mary — with bacon, of course — bacon seminars and free music from Hell’s Belles, Big Onions and Terrance Simien & The Zydeco, among others. Plus, you can feel good about eating all that bacon because the organizers of the event, The Keystone Neighbourhood Co., donate a portion of the proceeds to the Friends of the Dillon Ranger District, a local nonprofit that protects our National Forest land.

For more information, visit www.keystonefestivals.com or call (970) 496-4386.

Dillon Marina opened as scheduled on Friday, May 23

The Dillon Marina opened as scheduled on Friday, May 23, under the direction of marina manager Bob Evans.

“We are thrilled to get the marina open,” Mayor Kevin Burns said. “It’s one of the crown jewels of Dillon and acts as an official start to the summer for many.”

The Dillon Marina is a full-service marina offering boat rentals, including sailboats, pontoons and runabouts. Rentals were slated to begin on Saturday, May 24. Boat repair, kayak and canoe storage, slip rentals and a sailing school with tours are a few more amenities the marina provides. A full retail store with all your Dillon Marina clothing needs is just one more way that the Dillon Marina provides everything needed for a day out on the water.

“The views are complimentary,” Burns said.

New to the marina for the 2014 summer season is standup paddleboarding operated by concessionaire Stand-Up Paddle Colorado. Paddleboard rentals and lessons will be available. Pug Ryan’s Lakeside Tiki Bar also began its normal summer hours, 11:30 a.m. to sunset, weather permitting, on Friday.

For more information on any marina services, call (970) 468-5100 or visit www.dillonmarina.com.

Special engagement of D-Day film at Denver museum

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science will kick off this year’s Blue Star program with a special engagement of the new IMAX 3D film “D-Day: Normandy 1944.” The film will be shown in Phipps IMAX Theater during Memorial Day weekend, Saturday, May 24, through Sunday, May 26. IMAX ticket prices will apply.

On June 6, 1944, the largest Allied operation of World War II began in Normandy, France. Yet few know in detail exactly why and how this monumental event changed the course of history. “D-Day: Normandy 1944” seamlessly blends stunning computer-generated images, live-action reenactments and historic photos and film to recount this carefully planned mission. From those who lived through it to those who are hearing the story for the first time, all generations will receive a new perspective on this extraordinary moment in human history. Narrated by Tom Brokaw, the film pays tribute to the millions of men and women, soldiers and civilians, who gave their lives for freedom. This film will officially open at the museum on Friday, June 6.

For more information, visit www.dmns.org.

Denver museum offers free admission to active duty military

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science recently announced its participation in the Blue Star Museums program, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and more than 2,000 museums across America to offer free general admission to the nation’s active duty military personnel, including the National Guard Reserve, and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2014.

The program provides families with an opportunity to enjoy the nation’s cultural heritage and learn more about their new community after a military move. Members of the military and their families may take advantage of this program at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science from Monday, May 26, to Monday, Sept. 1.

“We are very grateful for the contributions of our service men and women and their families to our country,” said George Sparks, president and CEO of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. “We are proud to be part of such an extensive network of museums that helps connect military families with cultural experiences in their communities, and we look forward to welcoming them to our Museum throughout the summer.”

This year, more than 2,000 museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative, including science museums, art museums, history museums, nature centers and dozens of children’s museums. A complete list is available at arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

#Breckenridge, Colorado.

Special to the Daily

You may be itching to put on you hiking boots this Memorial Day weekend, but before you head out on your trek, take heed of the trail conditions to avoid causing unnecessary damage. A long, snowy winter has many trails still buried in drifts, and hiking through mud can cause wear and tear to more than just your footwear.

Tony Overlock, lead trails technician for the town of Breckenridge Open Space & Trails department, said trail conditions are still snowy and muddy in Breckenridge and elsewhere in Summit County.

“Most of the trails still need some time to dry out,” he said. “We’re asking for hikers and riders to be patient and respectful. We’re suggesting that if people want to go riding, they should ride at the peninsula in Frisco and the Oro Grande trail in Dillon.”

MIND THE MUDDY METER

The town of Breckenridge uses what it calls “Muddy Meters” at many of its trailheads, which describe the trail conditions. Each meter has a slide with three different settings: green indicates a dry trail, yellow for a trail that is muddy and wet where hikers and riders are reminded to stay on the trail to prevent erosion and red to indicate that the trail is extremely muddy and should not be used.

“They’re great,” Overlock said. “We let our public and riders guide that meter to know what the trail conditions are on the trail. They are posted to help people make their decisions.”

Overlock said when trails have muddy spots, it’s generally preferred that people walk through that muddy spot to avoid trail widening and causing damage to the trail, including drainage issues that direct water to flow down the trail rather than across it, causing ruts. When trails are damaged, crews spend hours repairing those drainages when their time could be better spent improving the trails or creating new trails.

“Those ruts cause long-term damage that trail crews will have to come out and repair,” he said. “We just had a great winter, so people need to relish the winter we just had and be patient so we can have a great summer on our trails. Be respectful to the trails and let them dry out completely before causing permanent damage to a trail.”

STAY ON THE PATH

Rick Hague, a volunteer with the Dillon Ranger District, said there are two words to describe the trails in Summit County right now: snowy or muddy.

“What we’re telling the public is that most of the trails are covered with snow,” he said. “They can be patchy; there can be open areas, as well. The areas that aren’t covered by snow are very muddy.”

A lot of people have been calling in asking about hiking, biking and all-terrain vehicle use, Hague said. He said the Dillon Ranger District has also been encouraging people to use mud-free and snow-free trails such as the Oro Grande Trail, which runs from Dillon to Keystone.

“It has nice overviews of the lake, and it’s nice and dry because it’s been exposed to the sun,” he said.

Hague said the problem with muddy trails is that people tend not to walk through the mud but around it and go off the trail.

“When people hike when it’s all dry, they’ll stay right on the trails, which is the purpose of things,” he said, “but now if there’s a lot of mud on the trails, they’ll walk into the woods and create another spaghetti thing of informal trails, and we don’t want that.”

Jessica Evett, director of Friends of the Dillon Ranger District, said that prevention is the best sort of medicine for trail damage.

“Those signs are up for a reason,” she said of trail closures and Muddy Meters.

Evett said a well-constructed trail has an arch to it that allows water to run off naturally.

“When you go over a trail and disturb that natural plane that we’re going for,” she said, “it collects, sediment, which gets into our streams and wetlands. People avoid those muddy sections; the natural inclination is, ‘Oh I don’t want to get my shoes wet,’ and go off to the side, and that creates braided trails.”

WHAT’S OPEN, WHAT’S CLOSED

The town of Breckenridge maintains a list of which trails are open and closed on its website,www.townofbreckenridge.com. Last updated on Thursday, May 22, the only trails open through Breck’s open space were the Blue River Recpath, which was listed as dry, and Betty’s Trail and French Creek, which were both listed as mostly dry with intermittent mud patches.

In the Dillon Ranger District, the division of the White River National Forest that encompasses most of Summit County, only Keystone Gulch and Frey Gulch are officially closed, due to elk herds calving in the area, Hague said. Beyond that, he said, calling the Dillon Ranger District for updates is an option, but most information comes word of mouth from people who have attempted to travel the trails.

“People call and ask what’s specifically happening on this trail; we just don’t have it,” Hague said. “We do have a program where people can come in on an ad hoc basis, ‘Oh I was hiking on this and this trail and these are the conditions,’ and we write it down in a book, or if one of the rangers is here and we can say, have you been up such and such a trail recently. It’s too early in the season for people to have done much hiking like that.”

Hague said if you really have to get out and hike, the best national forest options to try are the Oro Grande, Angler Mountain north of Silverthorne, Salt Lick on the road up to Wildernest in Silverthorne, Lower Ptarmigan which starts near the Oro Grande in Dillon and the trails on the Frisco Peninsula.

“I tell them if you have some of those small bear paw, bear claw snowshoes, carry them with you, attach them to your backpack, because you’ll definitely post-hole in the snow,” he said. “It’s soft enough that that will happen; you’re not going to walk on top of it.”

BE PREPARED FOR ALL SEASONS

Especially in Summit County, you can have all four seasons in the course of a day this time of year very easily, said Rich Doak, recreation and lands staff officer for the White River National Forest, and post-holing can be more than just a nuisance.

“A few things key things that are very important — almost all trails over there will have some level of snow,” he said, usually scattered in the trees walking in and out of the shade. “That can create a very dangerous condition. You can be wet from the waist down if you don’t have the proper clothing on. It could be a very slow slog, and if you start getting your shoes, socks and pants wet, you run into other health risks like hypothermia.”

Doak said you also couldn’t count on the same conditions in the afternoon as you saw in the morning for stream crossings.

“Since you’re so close to the point of snowmelt, the streams and water crossings will be low in the mornings and by afternoons — on sunny, warm days, or if there’s a warm rain it’s sometimes even worse — those small streams or crossings could become large torrents of rushing water by the afternoon when you are trying to get back out,” he said.

Pack as if you were going to stay the night, Doak said.

“Make sure people know where you’re going and when you’ll be back, and try to always hike in groups, not single individuals going out,” he said. “Understand that while we don’t have as many people visiting, the trails that are open are going to be pretty busy because there isn’t a lot open yet to spread people out. If you take your dog or those types of things, especially outside wilderness without leash laws, be respectful that there’s still a lot of people out there doing the same thing as you.”

Doak reiterated that letting your local district know about trail conditions you encounter can better help those entities prevent trail damage and allow that information to be passed along to others who are looking for it.

“The local districts are always very accepting of folks calling and updating them on trail conditions and hazards that they may not know about,” he said. “They don’t have the resources, the public is really a help to them. If you do get back and you spotted something out of the ordinary, give the local district a call and let them know.”